The "filler episode" argument is completely backwards and here's why

I was at a buddy's place in Portland last weekend watching the new season of an anime I'd rather not name. Four episodes in, he stops the stream and says "man this is all filler, nothing's happening." But here's what got me - he was calling character development and world building filler. I told him if every episode was non-stop action you'd burn out by episode 8. He disagreed, we almost got into it. Then I asked him what his favorite arc was from any show. He said the tournament arc in Yu Yu Hakusho, which is basically 20 episodes of characters standing around talking before fighting. I just laughed. Has anyone else noticed people calling any episode without a fight scene "filler" nowadays?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anthony23d ago

Nah, filler means any episode that doesn't advance the plot, and all that standing around in Dark Tournament was mostly filler.

hall.ruby23d ago

Wait, he called the whole Dark Tournament arc filler?! That's insane, that arc is literally the best part of the whole show!